Disappointed by your A-level results – or pleasantly surprised? Having second
thoughts about your choices? Josie Gurney-Read sets out the options.

Not much in life is more satisfying than knowing that all your hard work has paid off: that after months of colour-coordinating notes, organising files and endlessly cramming the essential information, you’ve gained A-level results that will win you a place at university.

This was the reality for many teenagers on Thursday, when A-level results were handed out at schools and colleges across the UK, prompting the now-traditional scenes of relief, delight and well-timed celebratory jumps.

If you were among those celebrating, congratulations: now’s the time to give yourself a pat on the back and prepare for the next stage of your academic career and the keenly anticipated Freshers’ Week.

But not all can have prizes: or at least, not straight away. If you’ve failed to get the grades required for either your firm or insurance university choices, or you’ve done better than you’d hoped and want to cast your net more widely; if you’ve changed your mind about applications, or missed the initial admissions period, then all you’ll be experiencing this week is agonising suspense. But don’t panic – and don’t feel you have to rush – because we can help.

The Clearing process can seem like a breathless sprint, where if you haven’t found a place by the end of the first day of Clearing, you’ll be left wandering in a university wasteland, where the last few vacancies are fought over by candidates wielding better results than yourself.

This actually couldn’t be farther from the truth. The aptly named Ucas Track system also accommodates wily, patient Mo Farah types who, with resilient stamina, find a place in Clearing days and sometimes weeks after entering the system.

Just take a look at last year’s figures, when a total of 55,000 students were offered a place through Clearing. Ucas reports that around 15,000 Clearing offers were made in the first three days after results were published. In other words, less than one-third of the total. An encouraging thought for those who have yet to apply.

And although the deadline to enter Clearing is September 20, you can still add new choices until October 22, so you still have time to find something that suits you.

Alan Carlile, head of admissions at the University of Sheffield, says that while a lot of places, including highly subscribed courses such as English and law, will be filled on results day, there will still be places available – often on closely related courses – at universities across the UK: “Some courses will get filled on the first day,” he says. “But it’s also advisable to keep calling the universities you are interested in.”

Even so, it’s better to act quickly than regret any indecision. Marlon Gomes, head of admissions at Queen Mary, University of London, says: “Get on the phone to your original, firm choice and have a chat about your options. Although we do expect to have a limited number of places available at Queen Mary during Clearing, those places will be filled during August.”

There are other, more practical considerations, too. Carlile warns that, with term beginning [at Sheffield] in September, it’s better to get your application in early in order to give yourself time to prepare: “At Sheffield we would not routinely accept applicants after August 31, as we would not be able to guarantee the sort of experience that the university wants for its students. Going to university is a big step and we want to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

The longer you leave accepting a place through Clearing, the less time you have to organise other aspects of student life such as accommodation and finance, not to mention the time it can take to mentally prepare for the move away from home. Most university courses in England start around the last week in September. If you accept a place through Clearing later than this, you’ll be playing catch-up on your course and could have trouble finding university-run accommodation.

Clearing can also be an opportunity to switch to a different path. Perhaps you were feeling unsure about your initial degree choice and have decided to try elsewhere, or maybe your results meant that you had to rethink your career plans. Whatever happened on results day, it’s important that you continue to consider your options.

Bear in mind that you can apply for any course at any university that has vacancies, not just those in the subjects you chose in your original application. You’re also able to apply for places in degree courses you declined in the original application process, so there are plenty of choices open to you. Your task is to get online, get on the phone and work out what’s best for you.

The telephone is also a crucial tool when it comes to Adjustment, the process by which applicants who have exceeded their required grades can look around for a new course, but without having to give up their original place. If you are in this happy position, bear in mind that you will only have five days, once you have registered, to search for a new place. Applications close completely on August 31, and unlike Clearing there is no vacancies list, so if you want to apply through Adjustment, now’s the time to call university admissions.

Telegraph Clearing

- As the exclusive media partner of Ucas, the Telegraph is the best place to start for Clearing applicants, with our selection of online tools available now.

- If you haven’t already, you can download our free smartphone app, Clearing 2013, available from both Apple and Google stores. This gives you the ability to scour vacancies, 24 hours a day, in real time.

- The main online version of the Clearing 2013 place finderis also available and listings are published free with your newspaper in England and Wales today, with updated listings to be published again on August 29 and September 5.

- If you are thinking of a new direction, our University Course Finderis also available online and as a free app. This offers detailed statistics on every British higher education course, and is a good place to head if you want to check out universities before applying, as it will enable you to compare degree courses objectively.

- For more help with Clearing, Adjustment, preparation for student life and breaking education stories, visittelegraph.co.uk/education.